Oslo, Norway, 2 July 2012 - NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:NDAQ) today completed the acquisition of NOS Clearing ASA. Regulatory approval and clearance have been obtained and the shareholders of Imarex ASA have approved the transaction. The process of integrating NOS Clearing ASA into the acquiring entity, NASDAQ OMX Stockholm AB, will now be initiated. The objective is that NOS Clearing ASA will be merged into NASDAQ OMX Stockholm AB by the end of 2013. The integration process will unfold in sections.
The integration of NOS Clearing ASA will allow NASDAQ OMX to move forward with the global strategy of NASDAQ OMX Commodities to grow in new markets. NASDAQ OMX and NOS Clearing ASA will strengthen its offering to the global commodity markets and continue to develop the clearing services.
Geir Reigstad, Head of NASDAQ OMX Commodities, said: “We are very pleased that we have reached this milestone and can move ahead according to plan. NOS Clearing ASA fits perfectly into our strategy to grow internationally within the energy space. Freight is a key part of the energy supply chain. At the same time we are also entering into the new emerging markets of sea food derivatives. The acquisition allows NASDAQ OMX to further leverage on the Genium INET technology based platform, an all-asset, cross-market technology platform. The goal is that NOS Clearing ASA will be fully supported by this platform by year end 2013.”
Morten Erichsen, Managing Director of NOS Clearing ASA, said: “Under the ownership of NASDAQ OMX, NOS Clearing ASA will become part of an organization that brings size and global reach to NOS Clearing ASA to the benefit of our members. We are now looking forward to develop the most complete commodity offering in the clearing space to our members worldwide.”
The Swedish-Norwegian electricity certificate instruments will continue to be offered by NOS Clearing ASA in close co-operation with NASDAQ OMX Commodities Europe until the integration is complete. This means that the Swedish-Norwegian electricity certificate instruments as a consequence of the acquisition will not be launched on the NASDAQ OMX Genium INET platform in mid-2012 as previously announced. The trading and clearing of the Swedish-Norwegian electricity certificate instruments will eventually be fully integrated with the clearing of other NASDAQ OMX Commodities Europe products, including Nordic power.
NASDAQ OMX Commodities Europe (NASDAQ OMX Oslo ASA) holds a Norwegian exchange license and operates the Nordic power derivatives market and one of Europe’s largest carbon exchanges on one trading platform. NASDAQ OMX Commodities Europe is fully owned by the NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc.
About NASDAQ OMX
The inventor of the electronic exchange, The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc., fuels economies and provides transformative technologies for the entire lifecycle of a trade - from risk management to trade to surveillance to clearing. In the US and Europe, we own and operate 24 markets, 3 clearinghouses and 5 central securities depositories supporting equities, options, fixed income, derivatives, commodities, futures and structured products. Able to process more than 1 million messages per second at sub-40 microsecond speeds with 99.999% uptime, our technology drives more than 70 marketplaces in 50 developed and emerging countries into the future, powering 1 in 10 of the world’s securities transactions. Our award-winning data products and worldwide indexes are the benchmarks in the financial industry. Home to approximately 3,400 listed companies worth $6.2 trillion in market cap whose innovations shape our world, we give the ideas of tomorrow access to capital today. Welcome to where the world takes a big leap forward, daily. Welcome to the NASDAQ OMX Century. To learn more, visit www.nasdaqomx.com. Follow us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/NASDAQ) and Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/nasdaqomx). (Symbol: NDAQ and member of S&P 500)
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
The matters described herein contain forward-looking statements that are made under the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements about NASDAQ OMX's products and offerings. We caution that these statements are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties or other factors beyond NASDAQ OMX's control. These factors include, but are not limited to factors detailed in NASDAQ OMX's annual report on Form 10-K, and periodic reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. We undertake no obligation to release any revisions to any forward-looking statements.
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NASDAQ OMX Commodities media contact:
Sara Aadnesen
+47 9060 0759
sara.aadnesen@nasdaqomx.com